Should You Follow Your Gut? - Your Anxiety is Lying to You

July 12, 2025

Authored by: Taylor Shaw, B.S.

Edited by: Christina Kayanan, LAADC, LMFT

Gut feelings or gut instincts are generally used to protect us. When something goes awry, or we feel unsafe, as humans, we tend to get a gut feeling and follow it. This likely stems from evolutionary trends, in which we needed to rely upon our gut feelings to survive. However, in the case of anxiety, these gut feelings may not be reliable or trustworthy. Anxiety lies.

The physical feelings of anxiety can seem like a gut feeling, but in reality, it’s often the triggered fight or flight response of anxiety. For someone with generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, or another anxiety disorder, anxious thoughts lead to anxious feelings, and these “gut feelings” of fear, unease, and disquiet may be the direct result of one’s mental health. For example, in the case of social anxiety, the related feelings of fear and overthinking are out of proportion with the social situation in front of an individual.

If you or a loved one are struggling with anxiety and searching for mental health treatment, call our compassionate care team today. AMFM Mental Health Treatment has over a decade of experience providing mental health care and therapy to individuals struggling with anxiety.

Gut Feelings Vs. Anxiety

Anxious feelings are usually the result of anxious thoughts. When an individual with anxiety faces a trigger, cyclical thoughts, rumination, catastrophizing and more begin to occur. However, while a gut feeling or intuition may be a signal of the need for safety, alignment of values, or a strong belief, anxiety is disproportionate to the triggers, and that anxiety causes high levels of distress and some degree of impairment.¹

Because anxiety lies, it can be hard to tell the difference between your gut feelings and cognitive distortions. Where anxiety may be telling your body to lean into perfectionism, procrastination or isolation, gut feelings keep us safe. One question to be able to tell whether or not your anxiety is lying to you, or if you’re experiencing a moment of intuition, is to ask if what this gut feeling is telling you is aligned with your safety, your reality, and your values.

Anxiety will see a trigger and respond as though there is a bear in the room. A gut feeling would be a rational amount of fear, if you were in a room with a bear. However, anxiety may occur with the simplest of triggers, something as simple as making a decision about whether or not to attend a party, but with an anxious mind, your body may feel as though there is a bear in the room. This feeling is against the reality of the situation–you’re just deciding whether or not to go to a party–but the fear seems so real. The feeling may also seem like “bad things” are going to happen. This kind of anxious feeling can even lead to panic attacks.

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More about Panic Attacks

People who live with panic disorders or anxiety disorders may experience panic attacks. Panic attacks can be triggered by anything, really, but are often a result of anxious rumination. A panic attack may feel like nausea, breathlessness, or lightheadedness in the moment, but again, these anxious feelings are usually a result of cognitive distortions, rather than proportionate fears to one’s surroundings. If you or a loved one are struggling with panic attacks or anxiety feelings, there are ways to remind your body that it is in a safe place.

For example, when stuck in a cycle of anxious overthinking, you or a loved one may feel nauseous. However, eating some food and drinking some water can help break that anxious cycle. Following the hypothetical bear example: eating in a moment like this tells your body that it’s safe…you wouldn’t be eating a meal if a bear were in the room, you’d be running! There are a variety of ways to reduce anxiety in your daily life.

Additional Short-Term Strategies to Reduce Anxiety

Anxiety symptoms can be deeply uncomfortable in the moment, and it makes sense to need relaxation techniques at the moment of stressors. If you’re looking for mental health treatment to help with anxiety management, don’t hesitate to reach out today.

Grounding Techniques

Grounding techniques can be helpful to break the cycle of anxious thoughts when you or your loved one might feel an anxiety attack coming on. One simple but effective grounding technique is the 5-4-3-2-1 method: name five things you see, four things you can touch, three things you hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This practice can help you acknowledge your surroundings and get you out of your head’s negative thought cycles.²

Breathing Exercises

There are a variety of breathing techniques and deep breathing exercises that are helpful when your anxiety symptoms feel overwhelming or out of control. One simple deep breathing exercise is to use a count to five as you breathe in, hold it for four counts, then release it for five counts, and repeat until you begin to feel yourself relax and let go.

Physical Stimulation

Physical stimulation can help you to jump start your body out of the fight-or-flight physical response of anxiety. Taking a cold shower, chewing gum, splashing your face with cold water, tasting sour candy (keep some warheads in your wallet!), going for a run (and other types of physical activity) are all ways to trick your body into remembering that it is in a safe place.

Expressive Arts

Wellness activities like yoga, journaling, making playlists, art therapy and more can help build the mind-body connection through a more holistic healing process. Engaging in these kinds of regular self-care and connective practices increases your ability to live in the present moment.

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What is Anxiety Mental Health Treatment Like?

In a mental health treatment center, the day-to-day may vary depending upon your diagnoses and personalized treatment plan, but it will often consist of some combination of individual therapy sessions, group therapy sessions, psychiatry services, and more. AMFM Mental Health Treatment combines holistic and evidence-based mental health services in order to help each person overcome their particular obstacles and mental health conditions for greater overall well-being.

Group Therapy

Group therapy sessions can be used to help provide structured times to help you understand that you are not alone in your struggles, offering peer support, and the reminder that others are also walking through these challenges. At the same time, groups provide guidance from qualified mental health professionals, with suggestions and communication from psychologists with specialized backgrounds. These groups can span a variety of backgrounds, including but not limited to art therapy, somatic therapy, and narrative therapy.³

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that’s focused on restructuring and reprogramming maladaptive and negative thought processes. Psychotherapists are trained to help adults and young adults change their cognitive and emotional processes in order to outgrow maladaptive coping mechanisms.⁴

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is most commonly referred to as “talk therapy,” and is designed to help process emotions. Qualified professionals offer psychological therapy to move forward with healthy ways of engaging in interpersonal relationships and alleviating physical and emotional distress.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

EMDR Therapy is a renowned method of reprocessing most often used in trauma therapy. By activating the prefrontal cortex through a series of bilateral stimulation, qualified mental health professionals can lead you through traumatic experiences, helping you to alleviate the distress symptomized by trauma.⁵

Crisis Intervention and Stabilization Services

A crisis is defined by the National Library of Medicine “as an overwhelming event, which can include divorce, violence, the passing of a loved one, or the discovery of a serious illness.”⁶The goal of crisis intervention is to provide professional help and safety to reduce any potential harm to an individual undergoing a crisis.

Family Therapy

AMFM Mental Health Treatment offers family therapy through virtual family support groups that provide a dedicated time for families to engage in supportive and constructive interactions, fostering stronger relationships, and enhancing the overall treatment experience. Recovery takes a village, and it’s often helpful for family members to be involved in behavioral growth.

Additional Mental Health Disorders for Treatment

AMFM Mental Health Treatment has extensive experience treating a variety of mental health conditions–through evidence-based therapies, support groups, mental health resources and more–including but not limited to the following:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Depression
Eating Disorders
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Crisis & Traumatic Events
ADHD
Bipolar Disorder
Mood Disorders
Panic Disorder / Panic Attacks
Psychosis
Phobias
Schizophrenia

Recovery can feel isolating; mental health programming can provide treatment options and mental health benefits to help you or your loved one as you move forward.

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What to expect

Insurance Verification:

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Citations

Warren, E. (n.d.). Intuition vs. anxiety: How therapists spot the difference. NOCD. https://www.treatmyocd.com/what-is-ocd/info/related-symptoms-conditions/intuition-vs-anxiety-how-therapists-spot-the-difference

Smith, Sara. “BHP Blog – Behavioral Health Partners (BHP).” BHP Blog – Behavioral Health Partners (BHP) – University of Rochester Medical Center, 10 April 2018, https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/behavioral-health-partners/bhp-blog/april-2018/5-4-3-2-1-coping-technique-for-anxiety. Accessed 9 April 2025.

“Psychotherapy: Understanding group therapy.” American Psychological Association, 31 October 2019, https://www.apa.org/topics/psychotherapy/group-therapy. Accessed 20 February 2025.

“APA Dictionary of Psychology.” APA Dictionary of Psychology, https://dictionary.apa.org/cognitive-behavior-therapy. Accessed 20 February 2025.

“What is EMDR?” EMDR Institute, https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/. Accessed 20 February 2025.

MA, Carlberg K. “Crisis Intervention – StatPearls.” NCBI, 24 April 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559081/. Accessed 20 February 2025.